With a Paralympic berth secured, Canada will attempt to win a men’s world wheelchair rugby qualifying tournament on Sunday.
The fifth-ranked team booked its spot for the Paris Games this August with a 58-41 semifinal victory over Germany on Saturday in Trentham, New Zealand. Canada meets No. 2 Australia in the final, scheduled for 1:30 a.m. ET.
The Aussies grabbed bragging rights last October with a 53-48 win over Canada in the final of the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup at Accor Arena in Paris.
The Canadians boast a 4-0 record at the five-day tourney in New Zealand, having also defeated Brazil (57-39), Netherlands (55-35) and the host squad 54-39.
The top-ranked United States clinched a Paralympic spot with its gold-medal win over Canada last November at the Parapan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.
WATCH l Canada falls to Americans in 2023 Parapan Am Games final:
The United States defeats Canada 57-51 in the wheelchair rugby gold medal game at the Parapan American Games and secures a place at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Also headed to Paris is defending champion Great Britain (No. 4), Denmark (7th) from the European championships and Japan (3rd) from the Asian championships, while sixth-ranked France is awarded a spot as host.
Canada won gold on home soil in 2015 to earn its ticket to the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. The Americans got revenge in 2019, forcing Canada to win a last chance qualifier to get its ticket to Tokyo in 2021.
The Canadians, who were the 2022 Quad Nations champions dropped a 57-51 semifinal decision to the U.S. at the Parapan Am Games after going unbeaten entering the title game, including a win over the Americans in the preliminary round.
Source Agencies
